St Luke’s school staff to strike over plans to cut 25% of teaching assistants
Staff at an Isle of Dogs primary school are set to strike for two days in April after ‘shocking’ plans to cut a quarter of staff.
Staff at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School in the Isle of Dogs are set to strike for two days this week over plans to cut the number of teaching assistants by 25 per cent.
Workers will walk out on Tuesday 1 April and Thursday 3 April in response to the planned layoffs. Staff who are members of GMB Union, UNISON and the National Education Union (NEU) will participate in the strike action this week.
A spokesperson for St Luke’s told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): ‘We have been in discussions with unions about the restructure that we are undertaking as, like most schools across the country, we are having to manage the pressures of declining birth rates, rising costs and falling rolls.’
They went on to say that on the strike days, the school will remain open for Year 6 students only. GMB said under the plans, the number of teaching assistants will be reduced from 28 to 21, and claimed the overall workload at the school will remain ‘unchanged’.
The two-form entry school has been around for more than 150 years and is currently attended by over 400 pupils aged between 3 and 11.
GMB said a ‘large proportion’ of pupils at the school have special education needs (SEN), and raised concerns over the impact this could have on staff and children.
Jasmin Deans, GMB Regional Organiser, said: ‘The school has failed to consider the consequences of losing a quarter of its teaching assistants. With increasing numbers of pupils with SEND and more challenging behaviours than ever before, it doesn’t follow that the school can safely reduce staff numbers.’
Teaching assistant Natalie, who will be on the picket line, said: “We work tirelessly to support children in the classroom, and we see firsthand how much they need us. If these cuts go ahead, children will suffer – especially those with special education needs and other difficulties. None of us want to be on strike, but we feel we have no other option.”
UNISON’s Tower Hamlets branch secretary, Kerie Anne, said: ‘Teaching assistants are essential to ensuring children are safe, properly supported and receive the best education possible at school. Finances may be stretched, but these cuts are not the answer – the school must consider alternative ways to save money.’
Glenn Kelly, Regional Officer for the National Education Union (NEU), said: ‘We are shocked to see the school’s proposal to massively cut the number of support staff. They should recognise the impact this will have on the children, their families and the teachers should these staff be cut.
‘We know there is a crisis in school funding nationally. However, it should not be taken out on the children nor the school workers. Instead, schools should work with unions to secure the government funding needed to provide a decent quality of education for all children.’
A spokesperson for the school told the LDRS: ‘While we respect that it is our colleagues’ right to strike, we are saddened that the members of the unions have decided to take industrial action on April 1 and April 3. We have made significant efforts to try and avoid disruption to our children’s education and we are disappointed that earlier talks did not reach a positive and pragmatic conclusion.’
On keeping the school open for Year 6 students during the strike days, the spokesperson added: ‘We have not made this decision lightly, but we can ensure that these children are safeguarded, and that the quality of education will not be disrupted. We are also still able to provide fresh packed lunches for eligible pupils, which we know our community will appreciate.
‘St Luke’s is an important part of the community on the Isle of Dogs, and we are working tirelessly to ensure that it remains so for many years to come.’
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